Manchester United v QPR: Di Maria, Falcao set for home debuts

Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao could make their Old Trafford debuts as a new-look Manchester United take on QPR on Sunday.

Published

12 September 2014

United have banked on Argentina winger Di Maria – signed for a British transfer record of £59.7million – to inspire a fresh era of success in Manchester.

Much is also expected of striker Falcao, who has joined on a season-long loan from Monaco, capping the end of a lavish spending spree that saw United part with more than £150million in the transfer window.

Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw, Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo have been brought in together with Di Maria and Falcao, prompting debate over how manager Louis van Gaal can best utilise the players at his disposal.

Van Gaal is confident the new arrivals will help United recover from a poor start to the campaign.

"We bought five players and one player is on loan here and maybe we can buy him next season, and that's Falcao," said the Dutchman.

"We let go [of] 14 players. How to fit in these players is not so difficult, I think, when you let go 14 players and only six players come in.

"They have to perform our philosophy [against QPR] and that philosophy is not so easy to perform. We have seen it already.

"But I think the players we have selected [in the transfer window] shall do that better."

United have still not won this season, with two Premier League draws and a loss to Swansea City having been registered together with a shock 4-0 League Cup loss at MK Dons.

The defeat to Swansea came at Old Trafford and Van Gaal, who is without Phil Jones (hamstring), Marouane Felliani (ankle), Chris Smalling (groin), Michael Carrick (ankle) and Ashley Young (knock) – will be desperate to avoid a repeat.